Böcker utgivna av Mdpi AG

Changes in lifestyle and demographics shifted preferences about the relationships between food and health, contributing to generate new needs in the food supply. Today, the role of food is not only intended as hunger satisfaction and nutrient supply, but also as an opportunity to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental well-being. There is a growing interest in the novel or less well known plant foods that offer an opportunity for health maintenance. This book shows that an interest in plant foods and underutilized fruits is continuously growing, and agrobiodiversity exploitation offers effective and extraordinary potentialities. Readers will discover that plant foods could become an important source of health-promoting compounds and functional food ingredients with beneficial properties. The description of the quality and physicochemical traits, the identification and quantification of the main biologically active compounds, and the evaluation of their biological activities are important to assess plant food efficacy as functional foods or a source of food supplement ingredients for the consumers.

The advent of additive manufacturing (AM) processes applied to the fabrication of structural components creates the need for design methodologies supporting structural optimization approaches that take into account the specific characteristics of the process. While AM processes enable unprecedented geometrical design freedom, which can result in significant reductions of component weight, on the other hand they have implications in the fatigue and fracture strength due to residual stresses and microstructural features. This is linked to stress concentration effects and anisotropy that still warrant further research. This Special Issue of Applied Sciences brings together papers investigating the features of AM processes relevant to the mechanical behavior of AM structural components, particularly, but not exclusively, from the viewpoints of fatigue and fracture behavior. Although the focus of the issue is on AM problems related to fatigue and fracture, articles dealing with other manufacturing processes with related problems are also be included.

Food insecurity and low resources continue to be a burden influencing the health, well-being, growth, and development of millions of U.S. children and adults. Groups and individuals experiencing restrained access to food are our neighbors, individuals we may see each day, and individuals who we may not interact with or see because of their isolated situations. They include the elderly, those experiencing mental illness, veterans, certain race/ethnic groups, adolescents, young women with children, those living in rural areas, and those using food pantries, among others. Many of these groups, both hidden and visible, have rates of food insecurity above the national average that are resistant to national improvements in food security. Yet, attention to these subsets of the population is imperative to improve U.S. health and nutrition and to reduce rates of chronic disease. Many groups face specific barriers to maintaining sufficient food, for example, rural populations may find it difficult to access federal food assistance or other resources such as food pantries and nutrition education because of distance or lack of consistent internet access separating them from these resources. Further, their remote locations may make it difficult to obtain the types of foods that they prefer. Other specific barriers may include limited facilities and equipment for food preparation, access to culturally appropriate foods and preparation supplies, and foods that complement the foods that they already have. Tailored approaches to quantify access to food, the nutrition environment, dietary intake, and other barriers are necessary to build successful interventions and to quantify the needs of these populations.

Remote Sensing is of paramount importance for Earth Observation to monitor and analyze the Earth''s vital signs. In this Special Issue are reported the latest research results involving active optical remote sensing instruments, both from ground-based to satellite platforms, that are involved in analyzing the vertical and horizontal aerosol and cloud distribution, other than their geometrical, optical and microphysical properties. Those active optical remote sensing techniques are also very useful in determining pollutant dispersion and the dynamics inside the boundary layer. The published studies put in evidence the hidden mechanisms on how pollution from the source is advected transnationally in other countries and the interaction with local meteorology.

The pestiviruses encompass some of the most economically important viral infections in the cattle, swine, and sheep industries worldwide. Discovered more than 70 years ago, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) were long the main concern, but many new pestiviruses have emerged in recent years, which may also present additional threats to biosecurity and food safety. This issue brings together contributions from multiple disciplines - virology, immunology, veterinary clinical medicine, epidemiology, and pathology - on the subject of BVDV and related pestiviruses, and cover host-virus interactions, virus-cell interactions, cross-species transmission as well as the role of wildlife species as reservoirs of some of the pestiviruses.

Apheresis refers to an extracorporeal therapy which aims at removing pathological constituents from the patients'' blood. Due to the development of new techniques as well as the discovery of novel autoimmune antibodies, it is increasingly recognized as an important therapeutic option for a variety of autoimmune-mediated neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and many others. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) constitutes the standard method of apheresis for most indications, while immunoadsorption (IA) offers a more specific, low-risk alternative. Both methods aim at removing auto-antibodies from the blood. Evidence for most neurological diseases is still low. Interestingly, more recent developments suggest that apheresis is not limited to the removal of autoantibodies but may also be useful in neurodegenerative and possibly even in acute vascular disorders.

In this Special Issue, recent advances in cross-coupling reactions are presented in the form of original research articles, reviews, and short communications. These contributions cover different topics in this area, including novel coupling reactions, reaction conditions, synthetic alternatives, metal ligands, and applications for new pharmaceutical compounds and organic materials. In particular, the reviews deal with methodologies such as the synthesis of diarylketones through palladium catalysis and the most relevant examples of Suzuki-Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig coupling reactions in the synthesis of bioactive compounds. The synthetic utility of cross-coupling reactions for the synthesis of medium-size rings and the utility of Stille and Suzuki coupling reactions for the synthesis of new molecular machines based on sterically hindered anthracenyl trypticenyl units are also summarized. The original research articles present the synthesis of 2-alkynylpyrrols by inverse Sonogashira coupling and the synthesis of indoles under oxidative dearomative cross-dehydrogenative conditions. The efficient combination of iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of aryl halides with the Sonogashira coupling and a sequential iridium-catalyzed borylation of NH-free pyrroles followed by a Suzuki-Miyaura reaction are included. The synthesis of aryl propionic acids, a common structural motif in medicinal chemistry, and the synthesis of new organic dyes are also covered.

Biocatalysis, the application of enzymes as catalysts for chemical synthesis, has become an increasingly valuable tool for the synthetic chemist. Enzymatic transformations carried out by enzymes or whole-cell catalysts are used for the production of a wide variety of compounds ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. The primary consideration for the incorporation of biotransformation in a synthetic sequence is regio- and stereocontrol that can be achieved with enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Biotransformations are thus becoming accepted as a method for generating optically pure compounds as well as for developing efficient routes to target compounds. This Special Issue aims to address the main applications of biocatalysts, isolated enzymes, and whole microorganisms in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and their precursors.

There has been significant progress in the field of interventional cardiology, from the development of newer devices to newer applications of technology, resulting in improved cardiovascular outcomes. The goal of this Special Issue is to update practicing clinicians and provide a comprehensive collection of original articles, reviews, and editorials. To this end, we invited state-of-the-art reviews, including reviews of new technology and therapeutics, as well as original research in this area to be considered for inclusion in this issue. Examples include the history and evolution of interventional techniques, reviews of specific devices and technologies for coronary artery disease (i.e., stent technology, atherectomy devices, coronary physiology, intracoronary imaging, and robotics), structural heart diseases (i.e., ASD: atrial septal defect; LAAC: left atrial appendage closure; MC: MitraClip; PFO: patent foramen ovale; TAVI: transcatheter aortic valve implantation), advances in the management of challenging coronary anatomy, new biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (noncoding RNAs, etc.), and interventional techniques in the management of heart failure, peripheral arterial diseases, and pulmonary embolism. This Special Issue presents the most recent advances in the field of coronary and structural heart diseases as well as their implications for future patient care.

Rheology, defined as the science of deformation and flow of matter, is a multidisciplinary scientific field, covering both fundamental and applied approaches. The study of rheology includes both experimental and computational methods, which are not mutually exclusive. Its practical importance embraces many processes, from daily life, like preparing mayonnaise or spreading an ointment or shampooing, to industrial processes like polymer processing and oil extraction, among several others. Practical applications include also formulations and product development. Following a successful first volume, we are now launching this second volume to continue to present the latest advances in the fields of experimental and computational rheology applied to the most diverse classes of materials (foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, polymers and biopolymers, multiphasic systems, and composites) and processes.

African ecosystems comprise a wealthy repository of biodiversity, with a high proportion of native and endemic plant species, which makes them biologically unique and providers of a wide range of ecosystem services. A large part of African populations, in both rural and urban areas, depend on plants for their survival and welfare, but many ecosystems are being degraded, mostly due to the growing impacts of climate change and other anthropogenic actions and environmental problems. Loss of habitat and biodiversity affects livelihoods, water supply and food security and reduces the resilience of ecosystems in the African continent. The knowledge about the great African plant and ecosystem diversity, and the structure, composition and processes involved in vegetation dynamics, is crucial to promote their sustainable use and to preserve one of the most understudied regions in the world. This Special Issue aimed to gather contributions that update and improve such knowledge.

The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase, is a central regulator for human physiological activity. Deregulated mTOR signaling is implicated in a variety of disorders, such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The papers published in this Special Issue summarize the current understanding of the mTOR pathway and its role in the regulation of tissue regeneration, regulatory T cell differentiation and function, and different types of cancer including hematologic malignancies, skin, prostate, breast, and head and neck cancer. The findings highlight that targeting mTOR pathway is a promising strategy to fight against certain human diseases.

In recent years, power electronics have been intensely contributing to the development and evolution of new structures for the processing of energy. They can be used in a wide range of applications ranging from power systems and electrical machines to electric vehicles and robot arm drives. In conjunction with the evolution of microprocessors and advanced control theories, power electronics are playing an increasingly essential role in our society. Thus, in order to cope with the obstacles lying ahead, this book presents a collection of original studies and modeling methods which were developed and published in the field of electrical energy conditioning and control by using circuits and electronic devices, with an emphasis on power applications and industrial control. Researchers have contributed 19 selected and peer-reviewed papers covering a wide range of topics by addressing a wide variety of themes, such as motor drives, AC-DC and DC-DC converters, multilevel converters, varistors, and electromagnetic compatibility, among others. The overall result is a book that represents a cohesive collection of inter-/multidisciplinary works regarding the industrial applications of power electronics.

The electric power sector is poised for transformative changes. Improvements in the cost and performance of a range of distributed energy generation (DG) technologies and the potential for breakthroughs in distributed energy storage (DS) are creating new options for onsite power generation and storage, driving increasing adoption and impacting utility distribution system operations. In addition, changing uses and use patterns for electricity-from plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) to demand response (DR)-are altering demands placed on the electric power system. Finally, the infusion of new information and communications technology (ICT) into the electric system and its markets is enabling the collection of immense volumes of data on power sector operations and use; unprecedented control of generation, networks, and loads; and new opportunities for the delivery of energy services. In this Special Issue of Energies, research papers on topics related to the integration of distributed energy resources (DG, DS, EV, and DR) are included. From technologies to software tools to system-wide evaluations, the impacts of all aforementioned distributed resources on both operation and planning are examined.

Abiotic stress represents the main constraint for agriculture, affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Yield losses in agriculture will be potentiated in the future by global warming, increasing contamination, and reduced availability of fertile land. The challenge for agriculture of the present and future is that of increasing the food supply for a continuously growing human population under environmental conditions that are deteriorating in many areas of the world. Minimizing the effects of diverse types of abiotic stresses represents a matter of general concern. Research on all topics related to abiotic stress tolerance, from understanding the stress response mechanisms of plants to developing cultivars and crops tolerant to stress, is a priority. This Special Issue is focused on the physiological and molecular characterization of crop resistance to abiotic stresses, including novel research, reviews, and opinion articles covering all aspects of the responses and mechanisms of plant tolerance to abiotic. Contributions on physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of crop responses to abiotic stresses; the description and role of stress-responsive genes; marker-assisted screening of stress-tolerant genotypes; genetic engineering; and other biotechnological approaches to improve crop tolerance were considered.

The cooperation of highly specialized cell types maintains the homeostasis of multicellular organisms. The disturbance of that harmony contributes to the development of several diseases. Most of the cellular functions are executed by proteins, so it is essential to investigate biological processes at the protein level. Antibodies, complex biomolecules with high specificity, are used to recognize our protein of interest in a process known as "immunophenotyping". One of the routinely used methods to study cellular proteins is flow cytometry, which detects cell surface or intracellular proteins at single-cell resolution. The other most frequent technique is the traditional immunohistochemical investigation of microscopic sections of human tissues. We called authors to publish their latest data studying cancer or autoimmune diseases by immunophenotyping.

This book collects the peer-reviewed contributions accepted for the publication in the Special Issue "Advances in In Situ Biological and Chemical Groundwater Treatment" of the MDPI journal Water. As such, the contributions refer to a variety of widespread pollutants (chlorinated ethenes, chlorinated phenols, chromium, copper, nickel, and arsenic phenols) and new remediation approaches (bioremediation, bioelectrochemical systems, and sorption), covering lab and field studies.

Despite the efficiency of current cancer treatments, cancer is still a deadly disease for too many. In 2008, 7.6 million people died of cancer; with the current development, it is estimated that the annual cancer death number will grow to 13 million by 2030. There is clearly a need for not only more research but also more innovative and out of the mainstream scientific ideas to discover and develop even better cancer treatments. This book presents the collective works published in the recent Special Issue entitled "Killing Cancer: Discovery and Selection of New Target Molecules". These articles comprise a selection of studies, ideas, and opinions that aim to facilitate knowledge, thoughts, and discussion about which biological and molecular mechanisms in cancer we should target and how we should target them.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a very useful technique for medical diagnosis and drug development. Radiopharmaceuticals are a key element in PET techniques and one of the pivotal factors influencing the applications of PET. The aim of this Special Issue of Molecules is to report on the recent research work on a number of aspects of PET radiopharmaceuticals and their preclinical and clinical use. More specifically, the content of this Special Issue includes but is not limited to radiolabeling design, radiosynthesis, synthesis techniques, quality control methodologies, GMP production methods, product formulation, in vitro and in vivo preclinical PET evaluations, clinical evaluations, dosimetry, stability study and metabolite analysis, and modeling.

The book provides a contemporary view on different aspects of the deductive systems in various types of logics including term logics, propositional logics, logics of refutation, non-Fregean logics, higher order logics and arithmetic.

For many years, arteriogenesis, also called collateral formation, has been regarded as being a beneficial process to restore blood flow to distal tissues in occluded arteries. Therefore, it is frequently referred to in relation to therapeutic angiogenesis. Despite the big clinical potential and the many promising clinical trials on arteriogenesis and therapeutic angiogenesis, the exact molecular mechanisms involved in the multifactorial processes of arteriogenesis are still not completely understood. A better understanding is needed in order to define successful clinical therapies. In this Special Issue, multiple aspects of arteriogenesis and therapeutic angiogenesis will be addressed, ranging from the role of inflammatory processes and immune cells, to growth factors, microRNAs and environmental factors like hypoxia. Therapeutic angiogenesis will also be discussed in relation to the atherosclerosis and intraplaque angiogenesis in hypoxic lesions, as well as specific forms of arteriogenesis in relation to spinal cord blood supply and aorta surgery. The effects of exercise, a frequently prescribed therapy for PAD patients, on arteriogenesis are also discussed. Overall, the papers in this Special Issue on arteriogenesis and therapeutic angiogenesis provide important new insights in the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of these complex processes and may be helpful to define a successful future intervention directed at therapeutic angiogenesis.